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15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-PGJ(2) (15d-PGJ(2)) is involved in the control of inflammatory reaction. We tested the hypothesis that 15d-PGJ(2) would exert this control in part by modulating the sensitivity of inflammatory cells to glucocorticoids. Human U937cells and mouse RAW 264.7 cells were exposed to 15d-PGJ(2), and binding experiments were performed with [(3)H]dexamethasone as a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand. 15d-PGJ(2) caused a transient and concentration-dependent decrease in [(3)H]dexamethasone-specific binding to either cells through a decrease in the number of GR per cell without significant modification of the K(d) value. These changes were related to functional alteration of the GR rather than to a decrease in GR protein. They did not require the engagement of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), because the response to 15d-PGJ(2) was neither mimicked by the PPARgamma agonist ciglitazone nor prevented by the PPARgamma antagonist bisphenol A diglycidyl ether. 15d-PGJ(2) altered GR possibly through the interaction of its cyclopentenone ring with GR cysteine residues because the cyclopentenone ring per se could mimic the effect of 15d-PGJ(2), and modification of GR cysteine residues with methyl methanethiosulfonate suppressed the response to 15d-PGJ(2). Finally, 15d-PGJ(2)-induced decreases in glucocorticoid binding to GR resulted in parallel decreases in the ability of GR to activate the transcription of a glucocorticoid-inducible reporter gene and to reduce the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Together these data suggest that 15d-PGJ(2) limits glucocorticoid binding and signaling in monocytes/macrophages through a PPARgamma-independent and cyclopentenone-dependent mechanism. It provides a way in which 15d-PGJ(2) would exert proinflammatory activities in addition to its known anti-inflammatory activities.

Background: Renal inflammation is regulated by a network of local and systemic mediators. Of them, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta 1) and glucocorticoids play an important role in deactivating monocytes/macrophages. We examined the hypothesis that TGF-beta 1 effects may be partially achieved through modulation of the sensitivity of these cells to glucocorticoids., Methods: Human promonocytic U 937 cells differentiated to a mature macrophage-like phenotype were exposed to recombinant TGF-beta 1 before specific binding of [3H] dexamethasone was measured. The expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was examined by RNase protection assay and Western blot analysis. The role of Smad 2/3 and activator protein 1 (AP-1) in the response to TGF-beta 1 was determined by introducing transdominant negative mutants and decoy oligodeoxynucleotides, respectively., Results: U 937 cell exposure to TGF-beta 1 caused a dose- and time-dependent increase in [3H] dexamethasone binding to these cells, with a < or =twofold increase in the number of binding sites per cell, without modification of the affinity. The changes in glucocorticoid binding were associated with identical changes in GR protein and mRNA levels, that were explained by an increase in GR gene transcription rather than by posttranscriptional mechanisms. Functional inactivation of Smad 2/3 and AP-1 limited the response to TGF-beta 1, indicating a role for these transcription factors. Finally, increases in glucocorticoid binding to GR were responsible for increases in the ability of GR to transactivate minimal promoters containing glucocorticoid-responsive elements (GRE) [MMTV-Luc and (GRE)2 TK-Luc]., Conclusion: TGF-beta 1 increases glucocorticoid binding and signaling in inflammatory cells through a Smad 2/3- and AP-1-mediated process. This may represent a new target for intervention to increase glucocorticoid responsiveness.

Somatostatin has direct anti-inflammatory actions and participates in the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids, but the mechanisms underlying this regulation remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether somatostatin increases glucocorticoid responsiveness by up-regulating glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and signaling. Somatostatin promoted a time- and dose-dependent increase in [(3)H]dexamethasone binding to RAW 264.7 macrophages. Cell exposure to 10 nM somatostatin for 18 h promoted a 2-fold increase in the number of GR sites per cell without significant modification of the affinity. Analysis of GR heterocomplex components demonstrated that somatostatin increased the level of heat shock protein (Hsp) 90, whereas the level of GR remained almost unchanged. The increase in Hsp 90 was associated with a decrease in the cleavage of its carboxyl-terminal domain. Evidence for the involvement of calpain inhibition in this process was obtained by the demonstration that 1) somatostatin induced a dose-dependent decrease in calpain activity and 2) calpain inhibitors, calpain inhibitor I and calpeptin, both abolished the cleavage of Hsp 90 and induced a dose-dependent increase in [(3)H]dexamethasone binding. Increases in glucocorticoid binding after somatostatin treatment were associated with similar increases in the ability of GR to transactivate a minimal promoter containing two glucocorticoid response elements (GRE) and to interfere with the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Thus, the present findings indicate that somatostatin increases glucocorticoid binding and signaling by limiting the calpain-specific cleavage of GR-associated Hsp 90. This mechanism may represent a novel target for intervention to increase glucocorticoid responsiveness.

Macrophage arginine metabolism via nitric oxide (NO) synthase and arginase pathways reduces and enhances tumor cell proliferation, respectively. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been shown to down-regulate the NO synthase pathway. The present study describes the effect of TGF-beta on the arginase pathway. TGF-beta up-regulated arginase activity in rat peritoneal macrophages as assessed by measuring the generation of [14C]urea from [14C]-L-arginine in the presence of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). The stimulation, which reached fivefold after a 48-h exposure of macrophages to 10 ng/ml TGF-beta, was due to reduction in Km value of arginase. TGF-beta-induced up-regulation of arginase activity led to the release of more polyamines, mainly putrescine. The role of this up-regulation on macrophage cytotoxicity toward L-929 tumor cells was analyzed in coculture experiments. Macrophages blunted DNA synthesis by L-929 cells as assessed by measuring the incorporation of [3H]TdR into the cells and the proportion of cells in the G2 phase. Addition of TGF-beta in the presence of L-NMMA permitted L-929 cells cocultured with macrophages to resume DNA synthesis. The mechanism responsible for this restoration was the up-regulation of arginase activity rather than the down-regulation of NO synthase activity since TGF-beta in the presence of L-NMMA failed to further reduce NO synthase activity whereas it still enhanced arginase activity; synthetic putrescine (1-10 microM) also blunted macrophage cytotoxicity toward L-929 cells. This is the first evidence that TGF-beta up-regulates arginase activity in macrophages and, hence, limits macrophage-dependent cytostasis.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a mononuclear phagocyte-derived peptide is known to participate in the pathogenesis of fever. To determine whether a feedback mechanism exists by which elevated temperatures influence TNF-alpha generation, we have examined the effects of heat shock on the in vitro synthesis of TNF-alpha by rat glomeruli, inflammatory peritoneal macrophages and blood monocytes. Preexposure of peritoneal macrophages to elevated temperatures for 20 min decreased the subsequent lipopolysaccharide-induced release of TNF-alpha bioactivity. The mean reductions were 11.9 +/- 5.0%, 86.3 +/- 12.0%, and 95.2 +/- 3.5% after pretreatment at 39, 41 and 43 degrees C, respectively. Reductions, that were transient, were maximum when lipopolysaccharide was added 0-2 h after heat shock. They correlated with the decreased release of immunoreactive TNF-alpha and the decreased expression of both cell-associated TNF-alpha molecule and TNF-alpha mRNA. Heat shock-induced inhibition of TNF-alpha release was independent of variations of prostaglandin synthesis, but was possibly related to the induction of heat-shock proteins since (a) macrophages exposed to heat shock synthesized the major 70- and 90-kDa heat-shock proteins, and (b) chemical inducers of the heat-shock response were also effective inhibitors of TNF-alpha release. The mean reduction of TNF-alpha release after pretreatment at 41 degrees C was found to be identical in glomerular tissue (82.0 +/- 7.5%), but significantly less in blood monocytes (43.9 +/- 10.9%). This supports the hypothesis that a negative-feedback mechanism exists between elevated temperature and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha synthesis, and suggests that this regulation is less active in blood monocytes than in tissue macrophages.

Previous studies have shown that desferrioxamine (DFX), an iron chelator preventing the synthesis of hydroxyl radical (OH.), up-regulates the cell-surface expression of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) receptors on unactivated human blood monocytes. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory action of DFX on 125I-TNF-α binding to monocytes upon exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Exposure to LPS (1 µg/ml) resulted in almost complete loss of 125I-TNF-α binding to the surface of monocytes. This down-regulation was reversible and the recovery observed after 18 hr was enhanced by addition of DFX (5 mM). However, binding studies on monocytes preexposed to low pH suggested that the DFX-induced increase of 125I-TNF-α binding was not due to differences in the number of receptors available but was probably due to a reduction of receptor occupancy by endogenously generated TNF-α. Time-course studies of TNF-α release from monocytes confirmed the ability of DFX to reduce the extracellular concentration of bioactive TNFα through a decrease of its synthesis and an increase of its inactivation. The latter process was associated with an increased expression of the soluble form of TNF-α receptor type II. These results indicate that, in the presence of LPS, DFX increases the release of soluble TNF-α receptors from monocytes. Thus, conversely, OH. generated in situ could reduce the shedding of soluble TNF-α receptors and, hence, increase the widespread release of bioactive TNF-α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]